Representatives from the San Francisco Chronicle were surprised on Wednesday when 40 of Lake County”s more influential figures showed up to meet them.
The trio were in town to discuss a destination section focused on the area, to be published in an April edition of the urban daily, as well as online.
Those in the Lake County Chamber of Commerce, the wine industry and local business expect the piece to drive a significant amount of tourism to Lake County, so they turned out in force. At least 40 people joined the conversation, including chamber chief executive Melissa Fulton, Marilyn Holdenried of the Kelseyville Pear Festival and WIldhurst Vineyards, county official Jill Ruzicka and “Lake County Wine Guide” author Gaye Allen.
“It went very well,” Fulton said of the meeting. “From the chamber”s standpoint, its a fabulous step in the right direction.”
The Chronicle”s sales team had never seen such a turnout. The destinations guide generally focuses on Napa, Sonoma, Monterey and the like. Generally, said account representative Adam Wallace, they must visit with county leaders individually.
For the San Francisco paper, the section represents revenue. Already Lake County businesses, vineyards and organizations have committed to almost $20,000 in advertising. But according to the newspaper”s surveys, more than 180,000 readers ventured to Lake County or nearby areas last year, visiting restaurants, tasting rooms, shops and hotels along the way.
“It could be real powerful,” observed Debra Sommerfield, president of the Lake County Winegrape Commission. “The turnout here today shows people are interested.”
Although the project began when Bernie Butcher of the Tallman Hotel in Upper Lake and others first reached out to the Chronicle”s travel section two years ago, Sommerfield and Terry Dereniuk of the Lake County Winery Association renewed the effort, shortly after Sommerfield returned from a trip to El Dorado Country.
Back home, she picked up a copy of the paper and saw a destinations section on El Dorado County.
“I thought, ”this is real,” Sommerfield recalled. “If I had this before I went …””
Many in Lake County are working diligently to improve the tourism draw, for the lake, agriculture and wine, as well as for the communities. In December a spread in the magazine “Touring & Tasting” will feature the county. Six Sigma, Steele and Langtry had wine varietals mentioned in national publications and a local ABC program popped in for a visit.
“And then we have this, putting Lake County in the forefront,” Fulton observed.
Chronicle reader surveys, which are used for advertising purposes, claim that an average of 15,000 bay area readers per month traveled north to Lake, Mendocino and the North Coast. The potential windfall for area businesses could approach $90 million in a year, provided each person spend enough of goods, gifts, gas, wine and lodging.
“It”s exciting,” Dereniuk said.
